


Bloom

by unluckyloki



Category: Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I feel like this au has held me hostage for 3 days, I got really inspired by the art and couldn't sleep, M/M, No editing we die like mne, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, T for some overly enthusiastic making out, TimKon Week, TimKon Week 2020, Timkon Week Day 5, as soon as my head touched the pillow I got IDEAS, glad it's finally finished XD, yeah I'm late but it's the end of the world outside and time if fake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24195937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unluckyloki/pseuds/unluckyloki
Summary: In a world where soulmates have a flower appear on their skin where their soulmate has a scar, Tim Drake grows convinced that he does not have a soulmate. Until Superboy shows him his arms, with flowers blooming all over his skin, exactly where Tim's scars are.But Superboy tells his best friend that he doesn't want a soulmate, that he doesn't want the choice to be taken away from him.That makes Tim keep the secret for years, until one day Kon finds out.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Comments: 28
Kudos: 551





	Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by the [art](https://blueinkjpeg.tumblr.com/post/618097598138630144/wow-my-body-is-covered-in-flowers-and-my-best) by Deamon.Ferret. The idea about the scars and flowers as soulmarks is not mine, I have seen it in the art.
> 
> I was not going to participate in the Timkon week this year. I had no ideas and I had no time to prepare. But when as soon as I saw this art, it wouldn't leave my head 😖 I had to get up in the middle of the night and fumble for my phone on the nightstand, because all of the ideas wouldn't let me sleep!
> 
> So, here it is. I thank Demon.Ferret for the inspiration!
> 
> Me: I'm just gonna write like 2-3 pages.  
> Also me: writes 10 pages.

Since he was young, Tim Drake knew that he didn’t have a soulmate.

He wasn’t always sure, but, as he grew older, the thought cemented itself in his mind.

You see, soulmates had flowers bloom on their skin, in places where the other got a scar. And it was almost impossible to live without a scar or two, even the smallest ones from scraped knees or paper cuts would turn into bloom on your soulmate’s skin.

By the end of elementary school, half of the kids in Tim’s year had already had at least one tiny flower somewhere. It was a topic discussed in hushed whispers, spiced up with giggles and shy looks.

As the secondary school began, more people started getting flowers blooming on their bodies. Some hid them, protecting the marks of their soulmates like a guarded secret, some displayed the flowers proudly. The flowers varied in colors and shapes, depending on a person - some looking almost like the real ones, some being more abstract. Tim’s friends and classmates talked about what the different looking flowers would mean, how the style of their soulmarks reflected their soulmate’s personality, trying to guess who their soulmate would be and daydreaming about them. When they did this, Tim would just turn away, still not having found even one tiny flower on his body.

There was a time when he’d lock himself in his bathroom and get undressed, to look if any flowers appeared. He’d do it twice a day, hoping that he missed something, that the mythical feeling everybody kept describing just wasn’t that strong and he just didn’t notice when a flower bloomed.

His parents stopped asking about the flowers when he was around twelve, and by that time Tim stopped looking for them anyway, instead completely focusing on following Batman and Robin with a camera in his hands, so it didn’t matter anyway.

(Tim asked himself sometimes if his parents left so often because they knew he didn’t have a soulmate, because they felt that he couldn’t be loved.)

By the time he was fourteen, Tim’s body was covered in scars from his Robin job.

There still were no flowers.

But instead, his life as a vigilante was progressing so rapidly that he didn’t have much time to think about that. Who needs soulmates when he has a team with great friends and constant adventures, when he fights for justice by Batman’s side?

His teammates shared his disliking of the topic. Cassie - because the second Wonder Girl was clearly into Superboy, and the few flowers she had on the back of her right shoulder meant that he couldn’t have been her soulmate. Cissie didn’t want to be dictated who to love, her mother already controlling her too much in her role of Arrowette. Bart’s body, being from the future, functioned in its own unique way, so the flowers would sometimes appear and then disappear the next day. Superboy wore a costume that covered him up to his neck, and would get gruff and unpleasant if anybody asked him about the marks.

It was back when Superboy didn’t even have a name, when he and Tim were locked in an awkward, childish rivalry, so of course they didn’t discuss the topic of soulmates. But as time passed, the two of them became friends, got to know each other better. Only after that, the newly named Kon-El had decided to show Robin his soulmarks.

When Superboy pulled off his jacket and pulled up the sleeves on this top, Tim saw that Kon’s arms were littered with flowers. But a particular one made Tim’s heart leap into his throat - there was a pink and blue flower on Kon’s forearm, exactly in the same place as Tim’s recent injury from an unfortunate meeting with Killer Croc. With mounting horror Tim looked at the other marks, remembering a corresponding scar on his own body every time.

“Everybody’s got like a few marks, and I got _this_ ,” Kon was saying, having no idea about Tim’s inner turmoil. “What kind of a person has so many scars? Maybe they’re a masochist. Maybe there’s something really wrong in their life, and what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to save them? I can barely take care of myself! I'm not ready for this kind of responsibility! Cassie is right, soulmates are bullshit, I want to build a relationship I genuinely _wanted_ , not one thrust upon me by whatever mysterious powers are doing this!”

Tim remembered nodding, saying something about dating being okay, that times have changed and soulmarks didn’t mean you were not allowed to be with someone who wasn’t your soulmate, like it used to be in the old days. He also remembered making up a shitty excuse and running off, because the situation was too much for him to handle.

He had a soulmate.

It was his best friend.

His soulmate didn’t want him.

Instead of bringing clarity, like he had always secretly hoped it would, finding out about his soulmate brought more confusion.

Wasn’t it lucky that, over the years, Tim’s gotten really good at compartmentalizing.

That’s what he chose to do for the next few years.

(Even when he realized that his feelings for Kon grew and changed, that he felt something different, something he was afraid to name. Even when Cassie and Kon got together, had been together for a long time, when Conner would tell Tim about how Cassie sometimes stared at the flowers on his skin, when they’d lay in bed together.)

Tim was scared sometimes that someone would find out. But the alleged invincibility of the Bats, the constant aura of competence their family learned to project, helped him. Other superheroes gladly believed that Batman and his partners rarely got hurt, even when their scars disproved of it. Tim was more than happy to keep up the charade of the strong leader, so he rarely let his teammates see his injuries, putting on a brave face every time. He also added more layers to his uniform, covering more of his skin as the time progressed.

Conner changed, too, his uniform slowly shifting towards a simple T-shirt. He lost the jacket and the gloves, but gained the support from the Kents, who he lived with now. As he got older, Kon felt lighter, softer, more accepting of himself. He wasn’t as hostile about the topic of soulmates anymore. He and Cassie were on and off again, and it seemed like they were leaning towards a mutual breakup. Tim almost wanted to tell Kon then, but.

That was when Kon died.

It was sudden and painful, like nothing Tim’s ever felt before, and the year that followed took everything else away from him.

Becoming Red Robin and following through with his plan for finding Bruce seemed like the only way to keep the remnants of his sanity.

And then Bart was back, and Kon was alive again, and Tim found Bruce.

It wasn’t a magical cure, the previous hellish year didn’t go anywhere.

But, bit by bit, Tim started getting the shattered pieces of himself back together.

He didn't have time to think about soulmates.

***

It was a quiet day in the Titan’s Tower. Most of the members had gone home or were otherwise occupied outside of San Francisco.

Kon stayed over, because he wanted a break from Smallville, from Ma's and Pa's worried glances that he still would get sometimes. Here, at the Tower, his friends took him coming back to life with no less excitement, but they tended to worry much less.

Tim was the only other resident of the tower at that moment, and the Robin - no, Red Robin now - was busy typing something on his computer. Kon knew that Tim was usually so engrossed in his work that he barely heard or saw anything around him. The years of their friendship had taught Conner that disturbing Rob was not only a bad, but also a quite dangerous idea.

He still couldn't help but peek at Tim. He was sitting in the common area, in one of the many armchairs, sloshed over his laptop. Kon took his time looking over Tim's frame, noting all of the changes that happened to Tim's body while Kon was away. Together with the new name, Red Robin gained a couple inches in height. His shoulders became more broad. Tim was leaner, the remnants of the childish chubby cheeks that he had through their younger teens weren't there anymore. Red Robin had a unique air of an indisputable self-sufficiency around him, something that made you believe he was capable of withstanding any storm, relying only on himself. If what Conner heard about the last year was true, that was pretty much what Tim had to do anyway.

That bothered him a lot - Tim barely talked to him about what happened, and he seemed even more closed off than usual. It almost felt like Tim was another person entirely, someone who wouldn't listen to the Team, wouldn't allow for another perspective to even exist. Talking to Red Robin when he was like that always left Kon fuming, full of frustration. He ranted to Bart about that, and Bart laughed.

"He's still our Timmy," Impulse said with conviction and a smile on his lips. "You just need to _look_."

Kon did look, and saw him, his best friend of so many years, hiding behind the infuriatingly cold facade he put up to protect himself. It wasn’t the first time Tim did that, Kon remembered. There were moments when he used to shut down emotionally, not letting anybody get close. There were days when Robin was a stony-faced and demanding leader and not much of a talker, only speaking to the team when it was absolutely necessary. It was later that Kon learnt about Tim’s parents, their frequent absences and the deaths that followed. It was even later when Kon realized how much Tim expected others to do the same, to leave him all alone.

Kon also had always had a suspicion that Tim's soulmate was dead. It wasn’t that common, but some people never met their soulmates because one of them died before they got a chance to. Those people had faded flowers on their bodies, and usually did all they could to hide them - the pain from seeing the dead, grey flowers was too strong.

Conner couldn’t be sure about what exactly was up with Tim’s soulmate, but something was clearly wrong. When they were younger, Rob didn’t talk about soulmates, even though he would listen if Kon needed to vent. As they grew older, Tim would shut down any conversation Conner tried to start.The fact that Tim’s always gone to great lengths to hide behind long sleeves and pants didn’t help. Their Robin wouldn’t go swimming with the team, would always wear shirts even on the hottest day. Kon remembers Young Justice engaging in a stupid game they called ‘who can get Robin to take off his shirt’. It took a whole day of them taking turns trying to get Rob to join them at the pool or asking him to try on another uniform. Some tried for more brutal methods, like spilling smoothies all over Robin’s clothes. But all of the fun ended when Cissie came back to their base, after a day of absence. She stopped their game as soon as she did, pointing out that Tim probably had a good reason to cover his skin that much. Cissie also glared a lot, her voice bordering on angry when she told them to think, really think what could be the reason for Tim to cling to the protective layers of his clothing even when he feels uncomfortable in the summer heat. 

Kon remembers vividly not being able to sleep that night, thinking about how hurt Tim’s eyes looked when someone mentioned their soulmate. There was just so much grief coming off him that Kon couldn’t help but assume the worst.

When Kon was young, he was so angry about the concept of soulmates, about someone taking the choice away from him, about the implication that his first serious relationship couldn’t be forever. But as years passed, he realized that love he had for Cassie didn’t suddenly mean less because their relationship finished. Kon’s feelings for her were an important part of his life, and he was grateful for what they had. 

Their breakup was mutual, but it still made Kon feel bittersweet. For the first time in a long while, he had a moment to think about his soulmate, and the multiple flowers that covered his body.There were so many, big ones and small ones, covering his arms, legs and torso in abstract bloom. His soulmate had so many scars, and they continued living - they must’ve been a really strong person. It was one of the first times he thought about them with fondness, genuinely interested in what his soulmate’s life was like. After all, Wonder Girl had found her happiness with her soulmate, so why couldn’t he give it a chance? 

While Kon learned to accept it, Tim’s attitude to the soulmates didn’t change. He would still become angry and defensive when Kon tried to bring it up, and still covered his skin.

Just as he did today, an oversized sweater pulled all the way down to his knees. 

Kon had already made a few rounds around the common room, trying to draw Tim’s attention away from his laptop. When it didn’t work, Conner sighed as dramatically as he could and went to the kitchen island, from which he still could see Tim.

Tim, who looked so small in that damn huge sweater of his. So small and cute, biting on his lower lip as he studied the content on the screen. His hair was a mess from Tim running his fingers through it, and Kon really wanted to go to Tim and smooth it out.

Instead, he turned to the fridge to make Tim a sandwich. He swore Tim looked like he hadn't eaten in days when he wore those huge clothes.

As soon as the food was ready, Kon took the plate with the sandwiches to Tim and put it on the table in front of him. Conner made sure to do it as loudly as he could, and the loud clang of the plate startled Tim out of his thoughts.

“This is your lunch,” Kon explained, smiling. “And I feel like it may be your breakfast, too. Have you forgotten to eat today? You look pale.”

Instead of answering, Tim just shrugged noncommittally. When he moved to take a sandwich from the plate, his fingers were shaking. Kon reached out to take his hand without really thinking about it.

“Hey, woah, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Tim shrugged, not looking at him.

Kon didn’t believe him. As he looked closer, he noticed how tired Tim’s eyes were, how much Tim slouched.

“Hey, Tim, c’mon, you look dead on your feet. Get it, _dead_ , because it feels like you’re gonna drop any moment now.”

“So what,” Tim deadpanned, taking his hand away abruptly and avoiding Kon’s gaze.

“ _So what_? Tim, you’re not planning on leaving me, are you? What am I gonna do without you?” Kon gasped dramatically, clutching at his heart.

It was meant as a joke, something to lighten the mood, but instead Tim looked at him as if Kon’d just slapped him. Before Kon got an opportunity to apologize, Tim was already out of the chair and moving towards the door, having turned his back to Kon.

Conner rushed after him.

“Tim, wait, I didn’t mean to-”

Kon wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he was already behind Tim, reaching out for him. He grabbed Tim’s shoulder, trying to stop him, to get him to turn around and talk to him, to clear up whatever kind of a misunderstanding this was.

Instead, Tim screamed. A tremor ran through him. Then, the tension left his shoulders and Tim sagged and dropped to the floor.

Kon watched in horror as that happened, panic seizing him, not letting him move.

Tim was on the floor, face down. There was a dark red spot on his shoulder. The spot was growing in size.

It was blood. Tim was bleeding, exactly where Kon touched him. Kon could feel the smell of blood, his senses intensified by his panic. His hearing and vision kept going highwire, from focusing on something specific and then on everything altogether. 

He knew he had to get his shit together, so he knelt down at Tim’s side and focused on his breathing.

Breathing. The uneven inhales and exhales of breath. Tim was still breathing, and that was the important part.

Having calmed down a little, Kon carefully turned Tim over. He was pale and looked especially fragile now. Kon’d never actually _seen_ his Robin being hurt, even though he realized it must’ve happened a lot. He’d seen Tim winded down and clutching one side of his body or the other - but he’s never seen him _like this_. Realization that Tim’s always been hiding his pain from the team was just another surprise of the day, and Conner filed it away for future discussion.

At that moment, he had to do something about Tim’s shoulder. He picked Tim up as carefully as he could, flinching at a soft whimper that his super-hearing picked up. He didn’t know why his panicked brain told him to carry Tim to his own room, where Kon obviously had no medical supplies needed to treat the wound, but they were already there. Kon had to speed back to the common room to get a med-kit from one of the cabinets, and then he was back.

Back in the room with an unconscious Robin. _His_ Robin, whose sweater was already soaked with blood. It wasn’t the time to think about how pissed Tim was going to be at him for taking the sweater off and seeing his soulmarks, but Kon thought about it anyway. He thought about it as his hands set out to get to Tim’s shoulder, as he took off the bandages and cleaned the wound, going through the motions integrated into his brain by Tim himself.

Learning the basics of first aid was something Tim insisted upon, but Kon had somehow never thought that he would get to use the knowledge on Tim himself. _Which must’ve been an oversight_ , he thought sullenly, _because Tim’s torso was covered in scars._

Kon could see _a lot_ of scars, but there were no flowers. He knew he shouldn't have looked, remembering very well how defensive Tim got when the soulmarks were brought up, but it was _right there_.

There were no flowers, but the scars were there, and there was something nagging at the back of Kon’s mind about them. Especially about the freshly bandaged one, the one on Tim’s right shoulder. Conner stared at it, remembering how the long gash of the wound continued over Tim’s shoulder and reached his back, making it a long, ragged line. Kon’s shoulder itched in the same place, and he put his hand there absentmindedly.

Kon remembered waking up in the middle of the night, just a day before. A new flower, a long wine covered in tiny purple flowers, bloomed on his skin.

It was in the same place as Tim’s new scar.

Kon slowly looked down on his own arm, where one blue and one yellow flower were pressed closely together, just under the crook of his elbow. He looked back at Tim, at his arm with the two scars side by side to each other.

Conner looked over all of the other scars, and the flowers that bloomed on his own skin.

The realization hit him like a freight train and left him gasping for air.

Tim was his soulmate.

 _Of course_ it was Tim.

He wondered briefly if Tim’s ever realized it, but dropped that thought almost immediately. Of course Tim realized. He was a goddamn detective! He must’ve known for years!

Anger flared up in Kon. _How dare he_ , he thought, _how dare Tim know and never tell him! How could Tim watch Kon make a fool of himself, trying to make his and Cassie’s relationship work, when he could’ve stopped it, when he and Tim could have been-_

Tim’s soft whimper forced Kon’s racing thoughts to stop. He watched as Tim shivered, slowly opened his eyes and sat up.

They looked at each other, sitting opposite each other on the bed. Kon held Tim’s gaze stoically, and it didn’t take long for Tim to realize that now he _knew_.

Tim hung his head guiltily. He hugged himself with both arms, probably trying to hide the bigger scars on his torso. That only brought Kon’s attention to his arms, and all of the scars corresponding to the flowers on Kon’s own skin.

He suddenly felt resigned. Tired. Like he couldn’t feel anything at all.

“I was sure your soulmate was dead,” Conner said, his voice devoid of emotions.

“Well, he was,” Tim agreed, sounding small. “For a while.”

Kon had to turn away then, not being able to look at all of the grief suddenly taking hold of Tim.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked next, desperate for an answer.

“You were with Cassie.”

“Oh, and you were absolutely okay with that?” Kon knew he sounded cruel, but he couldn’t stop himself. “You were okay with watching _your soulmate_ be with someone else?”

Conner knew that his sudden aggression confused Tim. He saw that in how Tim furrowed his eyebrows, how utterly lost he looked. But he couldn’t stop himself - a part of him, the remnants of the kid who was lost and scared, who thought that his soulmate may reject him, wanted an admission and an apology from Tim. He wanted him to _hurt_ like he did.

“But you wanted to be with her! You said you weren’t ready to meet your soulmate!” 

“I was a stupid kid!” Kon screamed. 

Tim flinched away from him. Kon realized suddenly how he must’ve looked, towering over Tim, fuming with anger. He pulled away, to the other side of the bed, trying to put more distance between him and Tim without getting up. There, he slouched down, covering his face with both hands, ashamed.

This was too much, it all was too much - the news, the suffocating anger, even the air. He couldn’t get _enough_ air, his lungs felt too small for the shaky breaths he was taking.

Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder. Kon almost jumped when he felt it. He raised his head up to see Tim looking at him with worry.

“Kon, I’m so sorry,” Tim was saying, his thumb awkwardly caressing Kon’s skin in a desperate attempt to sooth him.

Tim had climbed up on the bed and was on his knees, but still an arm’s length away from Kon.

He took a long moment to just look at Tim, to think back to the scrawny kid Tim used to be when they’d just met. He remembered their conversations about soulmates and saw them in a new light now. God, Tim must’ve spent all of those years in complete _hell_ , knowing but thinking that he can’t tell him.

Kon locked his gaze with Tim’s, trying to make sure that Tim realizes what he means, even when he wasn’t sure how to say it.

“I-” he started, but emotions were choking him. He had to breathe and try again. “You were always important to me. If you just. If you’ve just _told me_...”

Tim took his hand away from his shoulder, and that stopped him. When Tim spoke, his voice sounded small.

“Kon, I’ve spent most of my life thinking that I didn’t have a soulmate,” Tim admitted, hunching his shoulders. “I’ve gotten used to living with it, but then you showed me your marks and I. I didn’t think you’d want me as a soulmate, having brought you so much trouble already.” 

Tim still wasn’t wearing a shirt, and Kon noticed a tremor run though him, Tim’s body trying to fight the cold.

“Come here,” Kon said softly.

He took Tim’s arm and carefully coaxed him closer, arranging Tim on his lap so that the bandaged shoulder wouldn’t be touched. Tim looked startled and was frigid in his arms, like he was expecting to be chased away at any moment. It took a while of Kon rubbing his hands over his skin for Tim to melt into his arms.

Only when Tim was warm enough, Kon dared to hold him closer to his chest. Tim had hidden his face in the crook of Kon’s neck, and Kon pressed his cheek to his soulmate’s hair.

_His soulmate._

Tim was his soulmate.

The thought didn’t make him angry anymore. Instead, it felt grounding. The weight of Tim’s body in his arms calmed him even more. It felt like this was exactly where they were supposed to be.

“I’m sorry about your shoulder,” Kon said, running his hands through Tim’s hair.

“I’m sorry about all of the flowers,” Tim hummed in reply.

“I don’t mind them. Having them means that you’ve made it, that you’re still alive. I’ll be proud to wear your flowers.”

Tim finally looked up at him as he said that, disbelief bordering on child-like wonder sparkling in his eyes. Kon didn’t let him hide again, carefully cupping his face with one hand and gripping Tim’s hip with the other, to hold him in place.

Tim shivered. Kon could bet it was not because of the cold.

“Hey,” Kon said, stroking Tim’s cheek with a thumb. “Isn’t this the moment when we kiss?”

It was also that rare moment when Tim wouldn’t talk to him because he couldn’t get his words to form a sentence. Instead, he opened and closed his mouth, no sound escaping his lips. Kon wanted to tease him about it, was about to say that Tim looked like a fish like that, with his eyes opened so wide. But Tim decided to show initiative and moved forward, capturing Kon’s lips in a kiss.

It was clumsy at first, almost fearful, as if they didn’t know what they were doing. But as they became more sure, the kiss deepened, evolving from small and shy to something hungry, almost primal. Kon’s whole world had narrowed to Tim’s mouth at that moment, hot against his.

It wasn’t long before Tim was straddling his thighs, his fists grabbing at Kon’s shirt, trying to press them impossibly close. Kon’s hands held to Tim’s waist. Excited at the closeness, he let his hands go down and then squeezed Tim’s ass. Tim moaned and jumped at the sudden touch. The movement disturbed Tim’s wounded arm, enough for it to hurt, so Tim hissed and pulled away.

“Sorry!” Kon rushed out, his breath still uneven.

“It’s fine.”

Conner watched as color rose to Tim’s cheeks, how he tried to turn away and pretend to shrug it off. Tim looked worried and nervous, like he was about to bolt. Kon knew that Tim was trying to close off again, to put up his defenses that he spent the last few years building .

Kon was not going to let that stand between them again. So, he laid back down on the bed and pulled Tim down with him. Despite his previous uneasiness, Tim relaxed into Kon’s hold almost instantly.

“Sorry, I should’ve been more careful,” Kon sighed. “But also - _wow,_ I didn’t know you had it in you, our _level headed and cool leade_ r.”

“Shut up!” Tim said, pinching him.

Of course, that did nothing to Kon - it only made him laugh, full and throaty, happiness and relief rolling off him in waves. Tim mumbled something gruffly and hid his face in Kon’s shirt.

It took them a few more minutes of lounging and basking in each other’s warmth to wind down a bit, and also to realize that Tim _still_ wasn’t wearing a shirt. Kon had to get out of bed and go to Tim’s room to pick up a sweater for him, also making a detour to the kitchen. He wouldn’t be satisfied until his soulmate was warm and fed, tucked safely in his bed. That’s exactly where they agreed to spend the rest of the day, watching Netflix on Kon’s laptop, holding each other and trading soft kisses.

They’d have to talk more eventually, to right the wrongs of the past and work more on their communication, but for now, they were just happy to be together.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel a bit weird about this fic, maybe because writing it took me longer than I thought it would.  
> This is severely unbetad, so I will appreciate if you guys could point out the mistakes I undoubtfully made!


End file.
